Envelop.



PATENTED OCT. 22. 1907.

W. S. BROWN.

ENVELOP. APPLIOATION I-ILED A1R.18.1906.

t wewtoz 0 5 Bro 2/72 MW, 6 1mm 5 UNITED STATES Pi rnnr OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. BROWN, OF BURGHILL, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GUY. B.BROWN, OF OSGOOD, PENNSYLVANIA.

ENVELOP.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

Application filed April 18. 1906- fierial No. 312.496.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Burghill, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelops, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved mailingreceptacle or envelop which is peculiarly constructed so that after oncebeing sealed, it cannot be opened without detection.

A further object is to so design the envelop that no material increasein cost will be involved over the types of mailing devices in commonuse.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an envelop embodying the invention,the same being shown in an open position. Fig. 2 is a face view of theenvelop after being sealed, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional view through a portion of the back of the envelopwhen sealed.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The invention is shown as applied to an envelop which may be of anyconventional type as shown in the drawings and in which the numeral 1designates the back thereof and 2 the front. A slit or opening 3 isformed in the back part and the front is provided with a flap 4 whichfolds over against the back and is formed with a tongue 5 adapted topass through the slit 3. A strip 6 extends longitudinally across theslit 3 and this strip is located within the envelop so as to beconcealed. The strip 6 is secured at its ends to the inside face of theback of the envelop and the lower edge of the strip is, as shown, belowthe plane of the slit 3, and is free from engagement with the back ofthe envelop. The extremity of the tongue 5 upon the flap is formed withinwardly projecting members which are adapted to spring outwardly andengage with the edge of the strip 6 when the tongue is passed throughthe slit 3. These inwardly projecting members upon the tongue 5 arepreferably formed by bending the corners of the tongue back uponthemselves, as seen at 7. Where the tongue 5 has a rectangular formationthis bending of the corners back upon themselves has the effect ofproducing a point at the end of the tongue which enables it to bereadily passed through the slit 3. When the rearwardly bent corners orflaps 7 have passed beyond the lower edge of the strip 6 they willspring outwardly and engage with the strip so that the tongue 5 cannotbe withdrawn from the slit 3 without being torn or mutilated in such amanner as to clearly indicate that the receptacle has been previouslyopened. Notches 8 may be formed between the rearwardly bent flap 7 andthe tongue 5, if desired and these notches 8 will form a positiveengagement with the edge of the strip 6. The use of the strip 6 acrossthe slit 3 causes the points where the strip is engaged by therearwardly bent flaps 7 to lie within the envelop where they cannot bereadily tampered with, and as the bent corners or flaps 7 are notched attheir juncture with the side edges of the tongue 5, it is evident that adirect outward pull upon the tongue 5 will cause the strip 6 to severthe bent corners or flaps 7 entirely from the tongue and therefore show,when the tongue is withdrawn, that it has been tampered with.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

As a new article of manufacture, the herein described envelop comprisinga back having the slit 3 formed therein, a front 2, a flap 4 formedin.conjunction with the front, a tongue 5 extending from the flap 4 anddesigned to enter the slit 3, the said tongue 5 having the corners 7thereof folded rearwardly and notches 8 being 7 and the tongue 5, and astrip 6 located within the interior of the envelop and extending acrossthe slit 3. the ends and upper edge of the said strip being secured tothe back of the envelop, the lower edge of the strip being designed toengage the corners or flaps 7 and enter the notches 8 when the tongue 5has been inserted through the slit 3 and thereby prevent the opening ofthe envelop for manipulation thereof.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.I

WILLIAM S. BROWN. [L. s.]

Witnesses .Inss'n I-I. CASE, EDWARD F. BROWN.

formed at the junction of said rearwardly folded corners

